Topps‘ customer service department has officially responded to the recent changes in the replacement redemption process. Here is a statement from Topps:

“We would like to address Topps’ recent communication to its customers regarding substituting redemption cards.

Due to extenuating circumstances, requests for substitution cards will take longer than usual. After placing a request, customers can expect to receive their replacement card(s) in approximately 6-8 weeks.

We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience to our valued customers, and are confident that Topps will soon return to its usual mode of operations.

59 Comments

Peter

I wonder what they mean by a ‘return to their usual mode of operations’?
Also, this press release contains essentially no new information other than it’s going to take longer to get a replacement which was already made known to the public some time ago.

Wait, wait, wait and then wait some more! Then they will replace your never to be seen redemption with a low end piece of you know what. This has happened to me on my last two request. Guess from now on I will just keep on waiting. Waiting to buy any Topps cards that is! BOO MLB for sticking us with ONLY topps.

I call shenanigans on TOPPS. I have had 6 redemptions in since January, have asked they be replaced since the 4 month window has passed, and um ya I still have no redemptions. Garbage for customers. I now hesitate to buy any TOPPS products for the simple fact the customer service is no better than a trained donkey hee hawing on the phone.

This is a pretty sudden disruption in a pretty routine department of the company. I would venture a guess that someone was caught backdooring replacement cards and now they are trying to implement more oversight in the department. Either that, or there was one main guy doing an integral part of the redemption replacement program that is no longer with the company for whatever reason (quit, hired away, fired, passed away). Kinda sucks though, because I was about to ask them to replace a Matt Kemp Auto that has been outstanding for over a year.

Hey, wow have you all been blinded by Beckett and how far up Panini’s A** they are. At least Topps contacts me evry couple months to say they know I havn’t received my redemptoons yet. Panini is by far the WORST with redemptipns!! I haven’t heard from them in probably a year and have redemptions coming up on two years that I haven’t received yet!! no call no email correspondence nothing. is it my job the hound them I don’t think so. that being said I was pleasantly surprised to receive a Gary Carter replacement auto in the mail today without corresponding to them once. the Carter was a replacement for a Jose Altuve Platinum Auto $12 card. Thank You Topps kick rocks panini

Thanks for the comment. The reason this was written about is because collectors were talking about and asked about it. We wrote a brief up date on this and Topps then responded. They are giving collectors an update on a situation collectors wanted to know about.

We have a good relationship with Topps, having partnered with them for giveaways to collectors (maybe you missed the 10-box giveaway of Archives). All companies get a fair treatment of coverage. It’s not always going to be good and it’s not always going to be bad. But it is going to be fair.

The opinions being expressed about Topps have come squarely from collectors like you. Beckett only posted a statement from the company free of any commentary or opinion.

I’d like to know the print run on the replacement autos. The letter that came with Gary Carter replacement auto said they were specially made for this program. it is a sticker auto but I’ll take it he is a Hall of Famer for a Altuve any day.

What if Beckett is biased towards one company? They aren’t journalists. They have no responsibility to be objective. I’m not saying Beckett is, but there are examples of conflicts of interest throughout the hobby. Anywho, Topps used to be respectable with their redemption process and customer service. It has recently gone straight down the crapper. I had to go through the BBB to get any kind of resolution with an issue I had with them, and then they still ended up jobbing me in the end. It’s not worth my time to keep fighting.

Topps by far is one of the worst companies when it comes to redemptions. I’m beginning to boycott buying there products for that reason and im just tired of putting up with there customer service. The operators are extremely rude whenever they decide to answer the phone and when they do answer they provide nothing but the same bs from before. No company is perfect but Topps has dropped the ball countless times and has done nothing to improve things in my book

I think that there needs to be a serious look at redemptions and whether the practice constitutes fraud. The companies promise you x number of hits in a product, but they don’t have them, and history shows that in a number of cases, they won’t get them. But they pass them along to the consumers anyway, and then fumble around in a game of three card monty as you try to collect. If the companies cannot get their autographs, don’t promise them. Redemptions need to stop. The only thing that should be handled through redemptions are oversized premiums, and the companies should have the item in hand and ready to redeem immediately.

I am 98% certain that I will wait at least a year for my 2012 Topps Triple Threads White Whale of Yu Darvish redemption I pulled last September. It’s aggravating. Topps really needs to fix the way it does business. Probably worth the way though. Its not every day you pull a card of this caliber.

I quite agree with what Mark said above. Redemption should stop – period. End of story. Are ya listenin’ here, Topps? When I purchase a box of your product, correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think it would be acceptable for me to pay most of the cost now and give you what amounts to an I.O.U. for “later” – but fail to honor the I.O.U. when you tried to collect it.

Yet that is precisely what you’ve done to me time and time again. I’m still waiting for the goods from a redemption card I received in a box of 2012 Heritage Baseball, which I bought as soon as it hit the street. No, that’s not a typo! I said 2012 product – not 2013. And that’s only 1 of 5 examples I could give. Let’s face it, for whatever reason, I ain’t gonna get the goods, am I?

All you’re doing with this empty promise redemption crap of yours (and that’s just what it is…crap) is turning longtime customers like me (since I was 12; I’m now 54) who always thought of Topps as the Gods of BB cards…away.

The only 2013 Topps BB I’m buying this year is the basic set – -not even going for Heritage anymore. Keep it up, Topps! These days I buy a heck of a lot more football than baseball, and ALWAYS (at a minimum) buy and build your Finest, Chrome, and regular sets . . .no more. From now on for me, when it comes to FB it’s 100% Panini.

Chris im pretty sure people know why there are redemptions placed into products whether it be because the items arent signed yet or the player is unavailable at the time of release etc… however I also know that the companies can come with an alternative in every product to bypass the redemption placement into products. Heck if a card isnt ready wait until they are and put them in next years release. Redemptions suck and I feel for everyone who hates either of the manufacturers.

Very well stated, Joe. I certainly DO understand why redemptions (perhaps I should say I.O.U.’s) are placed into products. If some folks don’t mind waiting multiple years to get their redemptions (PLMK when they arrive, okay?), that’s fine.

Not me. I’m not made of money and this hobby’s become way too expensive (even for a box of so-called “low end” product) for this kind of basically non-existent customer service. The sad part is, I wouldn’t really mind paying the prices and (if redemptions are an absolute, unshakable necessity, as they seem to be) waiting a few months or so to actually get my redemption. But one year? Two YEARS and still waiting?

I recently dealt with Topps redemption replacement and had no issues with wait time. They made an error with the value of the cards they sent me the first time, but after writing a letter and sending the cards back, they fixed it quickly enough for my satisfaction.

I’ve received 3 redemption replacements this week! The one I got today was for a product just a year ago and the other 3 were for two year old redemptions. Are you telling Chris, that over the course of 720 days, the companies can’t get a guy to sign a few autographs? I understand that cards get signed several months before release date and the season for each sport can be long, but c’mon, 2 years and an athlete can’t sign his name to a sticker and get paid for each one? I’m in the military and can be sent away at a moments’ notice, but always have obligations to fulfill when I get home and before I leave on the next deployment. This is part of the job for the players and the company. I am angry about not getting anything close to what I thought (I can send a picture of each redemption card side by side of what I was suppose to receive and what crap I got) and most people would be upset as well. Like you Chris, I don’t lose sleep over it since the cards are my hobby, but I can still get mad for a bit when it happens. When I get the card I was promised, I get pretty happy even if it was a common autograph. But waiting for a big card and then getting nothing close isn’t cool. I understand Beckett is doing their job here as well, you guys aren’t making this happen. Thanks for helping keep up with this.

I’m calling major B.S. on Topps. I submitted a redemption card for a 2012 Musuam Collection Signature Swatch Single Player Dual Relic Hunter Pence Autograph Gold and received in today’s mail one of their “special cards created specifically for this purpose”: a Gary Sheffield autograph card.

Let’s be clear about something: there is no serial number on the card; there are no relic swatches on the card; this card is a much thinner stock than the Museum Dual Relic cards. This is is no way an acceptable substitute for what my redemption was for. This is a customer rip-off plain in simple.

Chris Olds, you want to prove the Beckett cares about journalism? Run a feature on this website and in the pages of the print magazine that detail the stories of collectors such as myself, detailing our anger at Topps’s shoddy customer service and get exact quotes and statements about what they are going to do to placate angry collectors such as myself. Until I see anything like that, I will refuse that Beckett is anything more than just a cheerleader for the card producers.

its really sad that the hobby is at an all time high…and yet topps is sending out worthless redemption and releasing damaged product….either way they win. you send them back to the company and hope you get the card back ,that you sent in..in the past year ive sent in cards for both reasons and received (in my opinion) lesser cards back…..I had bought a redemption card specifically because of the players on it 6x auto/jersey..i received a notice they couldn’t obtain all the players cooperation…I ask for replacement and I get back demarco murray ..an injury prone , market flooded , great looking card…unfortunately I wont get my money back I paid for the redemption..which would have sold for more and the potential to sell for much more once the 2013 season starts

chrisolds- calling you “non-journalists” might have been harsh. Your “wanna bet” retort certainly was a convincing argument. Kidding aside, honestly, if you aren’t subjective in a trade magazine with limited potential sponsorship, how long would you expect to survive? How long would backers of The American Conservative allow Steven Colbert to write feature articles before pulling their dollars in protest? If you or Susan printed that Topps is ripping people off with their redemption process, I doubt Topps would be very happy, even if it was the truth.

“Some of these comments are flat-out ridiculous and show some collectors definitely don’t understand how/why redemptions happen. Only problem is that explaining why probably won’t help either.

I have a Harvey auto redemption that’s two years old, myself, but I am not losing sleep over it, nor am I up in arms about it on a continual basis. Is it cool? No. Do they know? Yes.”

Chris, do you know that people pay money for products with redemption cards in them only to be screwed by Topps in the end? If they could make more effort to have the players sign, especially since they have offices in New York and Pilly areas, both which have pro teams from all the major sports, events related to MMA and have ties to the entertainment industry to some extent. For the most part getting items signed would not seem that hard given the proximity of their offices to say any number of pro stadiums or events in the area during the year. And what about making phone calls to agents of the players, MMA fighters and celebrities every single day to try and the things signed since they’re put into the products under the assumption that Topps is making a good faith effort to get them signed and sent out?

Based on your statement I would be under the assumption you’re just sticking up for Topps since you have a fair amount of giveaways associated with their product, which I understand. But two things need to happen before Topps may ever get the hint they’re screwing up. First would be for people to stop buying them, second would be for the remaining media outlets that cover the hobby to stop providing reviews, pricing and promotion of any products produced by Topps. You would think that as part of the hobby it would be a serious issue and that Beckett would cover it to some extent other than just rehashing the press release.

Oldgoldy: If you insult me, I can reply, It’s a two-way street. FYI: Magazines don’t have sponsors, they have advertisers that pay for advertisements — and that’s it. You’re talking about something where you don’t know how it works.

Steve: I paid for my box and I’m still waiting on the card — just like all of my other outstanding redemptions now and in the past. Their giveaways have absolutely nothing to do with my stance on this. With your final paragraph, you’re making a lot of assumptions that aren’t true — and I’ll leave it at that.

ok I will say this one more time ok, maybe even you can understand. no where on the pack or box does it say anything about redemption, they keep producing one product after another so fast they can’t keep up if they wanted to. so this BS about we don’t understand, or have no clue is BS. I know you think that you are smart and quick with the comebacks. bottom line, people should not have to wait months, we all know you will defend the card companies, you always do and always will. I won’t lose any sleep over it, we all have a right to get our paid for product in a timely manner. the card company’s set the time limits for redemptions not us. so tell me why if they don’t met the time they give, we should just understand, and suck it up and give them more money for more redemptions, Its not just Topps it Panini too.
I can’t think of one other company that does this, sure you mite wait for a special order for a car or computer a week 10 days maybe. but you are never going to get this very bad customer service, waiting for 30 to 60 min on the phone to here I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve asked for replacement cards before and had to call back a few times to ask what is going on
I think if you did write an article about our concerns, the way most of us see the redemption programs, you might not get as many insults.

This is just my opinion only, ok folks.
What has Panini done with their redemption? Nothing much but at least they do give us update every week on their blog on what redemption card are good and ready to be ship.
What about Leaf? I really appreciate at what Leaf is trying to do, they keep their promises. Limiting the numbers of redemption per product.
What have Topps done? Nothing at all POOR customer service, NO INFO UPDATES on the redemption processing, TOO MUCH REDEMPTION per product that has been releases.

I would propose to the card companies, whether Topps or Panini, and to the magazines or blogs that cover them, that there is collateral economic damage to manufacturers from customers that voice their unhappiness with the redemption process, whether or not the unhappiness is a consensus.

As a vintage collector that also likes some modern Topps products, I often face the choice of which aspect of the hobby to allocate my spending. I had been considering a few 2013 Topps Archives boxes, but now I question whether I am making a wise purchase without fully researching first whether it has redemptions in it.

The economics of baseball card manufacturing involve emotion and impulse purchases. To the extent you incent a potential customer to feel the need to research it on the internet before investing in product, you run a higher degree of risk that redemption inclusion and uncertainty takes us straight home after work, or alternatively purchasing other items on ebay like vintage cards, rather than taking the extended route past the hobby store to buy the new product.

The trend of adding SP (and SSP) volume to modern product has already caused collectors to avoid impulse buying and think twice before spending as no set can be completed in a cost-effective manner. Redemptions are yet another reason.

To support my comment above, ebay has 139 redemption listings for 2013 Topps Archives. While a percentage are listings for packs purportedly containing a redemption, there are still a lot of actual redemptions available for sale. Some are autos, some are just Topps originals (you really could not get those in a pack?). Enough to give me pause to pass on this product that I otherwise thought was nicely developed.

Hey, Derek, who are you paying off at Topps? I’d like to contribute to his/her retirement fund also! I’ve got redemptions nearly two years old with them, and the ONLY communications I’ve received are a couple of emails stating that Topps is sorry, but due to unforseen circumstances, yada, yada, yada! I’ve been promised, through telephone conversations, my Bryce Bryce Harper Red Refractor from last year “by Hallowe’en,” (2012,) then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, ad nauseum. When I called their customer service about the card two weeks ago, I was given a line of malarkey about “the cards need a touchup before they’re sent out for signing.” C,mon! What’s that mean??? Things will not improve in good ol’ Duryea, PA until Topps takes a stance against the prima donna athletes by giving them a hard deadline to complete their signings and eliminates them from a release if the cards aren’t available for pack-out!

Hey, Chris, you’re definitely letting your bias show! “Magazines have advertisers?!?!?” Well, magazines also have “subscribers!” Ultimately, who contributes more to your company’s bottom line? As to your simplistic, assinine comment that most of us don’t understand the redemption process, that was completely out of line. The problem is that we in fact DO understand it, and feel that the card companies are taking unfair advantage of us by taking our money for something which is quite often not delivered, Hmmm ~ sounds a bit like theft, wouldn’t you say?

I have to say something about Chris and Susan.. I have seen both of them do box breaks and read their stories
and I don’t see anything in what they do as being for or against any card companies. They voice their opinion on product and other relative stories on card collecting and everything that goes along with it. If anyone has a problem with these companies and their customer service you should direct that disappointment to them not to
*The Journalists * that work at Beckett to keep us informed about the hobby..
Thanks to Susan and Chris atleast we do get a honest opinion on product.

Ken: I was directly addressing a comment about “sponsors,” which was a misconstrued notion about advertisers.

Anyone can have an opinion on a topic, and so can I. (You’ll note I didn’t call yours asinine.)

Simply put, if someone understands why a problem exists why would they incessantly complain about it to vitriolic levels when they know it’s being worked on or is an inevitable reality of autographs being in packs? I’d say a number of people who do complain might not understand that this is an issue where card companies — and collectors — are at the mercy of the athletes. It’s the only thing that would make any sense.

I think that’s a very rational and logical approach — and you can feel free to disagree.

As for your last comment, it’s as simple as this … don’t buy redemptions as singles (I don’t) and jettison those you do get out of packs so you aren’t stuck holding the bag.

Unfulfilled exchange cards constitute fraud. Let’s not sugar coat this insult to collectors. Second, we’re stupid! We keep buying their crap knowing full well that if we really get a good “hit”, it’s more than likely to be a “miss”. How about acting like adults, send Topps a letter advising that we will not buy their product until they become accountable, and then actually refrain from buying, no cheating! I know, I know, I’m a card addict also. It’s going to be hard. That’s the problem. When someone flips you the bird and you’re handing them a very good living, guess what? They don’t believe you. You are a sucker!!! And, they are right! Our supplier knows we’re hooked and we’ll come crawling back for more abuse because we need our card fix. Time to grow up, tell them we’re not taking it anymore. I’m writing my letter tonight. Come on! Whining won’t do it. If this doesn’t work can we spell “CLASS ACTION SUIT.” There must be some AC out there whose been duped by Topps, et al.

I think you are doing everyone a disservice by attempting to engage in an argument over semantics. The fact is that Beckett Baseball Card Monthly — for better or for worse, and everything that implies — is the closest thing to a news publication dedicated to the hobby. Now, the fact that Beckett relies heavily upon advertising from card manufacturers, engages in giveaways sponsored by those companies, and also relies heavily upon advertising paid for by businesses who rely heavily upon sales of new card product does put the publication in a strenuous position in regards to balancing the needs of its readers against the wishes/desires of the advertisers and manufacturers. It’s disingenuous to act otherwise.

What I’ve felt for some time — and I see other individuals expressing similar sentiments — is that we feel that Beckett has become a cheerleader for the manufacturers, at the expense of providing useful information for the hobbyists and/or advocating on behalf of collectors. Far too often, I have seen the simple reprinting of Public Relations statements from Topps with very little attempt by Beckett to ask Topps questions in a manner that would give collectors the information or answers they need. I will refer you to your own interview with Topps’s Director of Product Development, Clay Luraschi in the February 2012 issue of Beckett. After all the outcry from collectors regarding the chipping issue, you *only* asked if Topps identified the cause, to which Topps only answered your question (“Yes, we have received collector feedback on the quality of some of the cards and we are addressing it internally. We feel confident that it’s an issue that can be resolved moving forward.”) and asked no follow-up questions at all. At a minimum, there should have been a question addressing what Topps planned to do to make sure this problem didn’t happen again. However, there wasn’t even a PR fluff statement from Topps acknowledging just how bad the problem was or that Topps understood why collectors were so upset. There was no depth at all to the interview.

This is much closer to stenography than reporting.

When confronted with an angry reader base, you attempt to engage in a game of telling us we are wrong for having unrealistic expectations. Instead, how about asking Topps (in regards to this particular issue and their unilateral decision to just send replacement redemption cards) some good hard questions about what they intend to do about what is clearly a swell of outrage over this ham-handed decision. Do they plan to reduce their reliance upon the cards? What changes are they contemplating to ensure that such a PR-disaster doesn’t happen again? Are they planning any sort of exchange program for collectors who feel their replacement redemption was not “of equal or greater value” to what was stated on the redemption card?

I, for one, am ready to leave the hobby over the bad taste in my mouth over Topps’s recent action (yes, I was someone who got a replacement I felt was woefully unacceptable) and the fact that the editors of Beckett appear — at least, by the content and tone of their statements — seem so unwilling to show any sort of understanding for or solidarity with collectors/readers on this issue.

Maybe a little soul-searching for Beckett (as well as Topps) is in order in regards to the points I am making.

Sorry, Matthew, but you’re wrong on many of your points about Beckett and its interaction with manufacturers — and I’ll leave it at that.

Example: How do contests work? For the recent Archives contest, out of the blue Topps contacts me and says “We have 10 number of boxes to give away if you want to do a contest.” And, of course, I say yes. Why? It’s free stuff for our readers. That’s it. Plain and simple. Nothing more.

I’d like to add that I took a lot of time with my comment earlier today (as opposed the the brief one I just left). Your terse response is exactly the type of “tone” I was referencing in my lengthy comment earlier today. When someone takes the time to write a rather detailed, thought-out statement — dismissing it with “you’re wrong on many of your points… and I’ll leave it at that” is arrogance in action.

I guess what I don’t understand in the process is this. I have multiple redemptions that have been unfulfilled with Topps that go back to 2011. Now it was my understanding that the cards were just waiting to be signed. But one of the signers I am waiting for from a previous year has already signed cards for Topps this year. That’s kind of weird. I kind of though they would have worked FIFO.

Either way its the downer of the hobby and something we as collectors will have to tolerate.

You want facts? Every time I have pulled redemption card and want to know the status of the redemption, I have to play this whole cat and mouse game with Topps either through email or wasting time on the phone for months at a time for one simple answer yet they can’t seem to come through within a reasonable time frame. I would say that thirty days is plenty of time Some collectors may want what they pay for, and how Topps handles customers is just asinine. I have been collecting and selling for over thirty years and Topps sure seems to be driving people away from the hobby with the way the have been handling their redemption program.

And as for your assumption I stated you don’t pay for your product, I was directing that sentiment towards people who purchase products that don’t write for Beckett. If I was going to directly target you I would have been more direct instead of being a little vague. Just wanted to clear that up. Topps tends to get me a bit fired up.

It seems like Topps is taking the break to clear redemption backlogs with replacement cards, making it quicker and easier for me to process and mail those when not interrupted with phone calls, tweets and emails.

For those with Matt Harvey or Darvish or maybe even some Harpers, I feel horrible for you guys that you likely won’t be seeing those cards redeemed and will have to put up with a replacement.

Btw, Chris O., will the redemption replacement set be priced in Beckett Baseball print? I think a Replacement set card I got a year or two ago is not listed in Beckett print so I wonder if Topps’ new redemption replacement cards will eventually be listed or not.

The price guide crew will make every effort to checklist, catalog and price the redemption replacement set once it has a checklist for what was made and there are ample sales results to publish a responsible range.

Stop buying wax, let brentnbecca and all the other heavy case busters bust all the wax and just buy what you want. It’s cheaper and you don;t end up with the redemption issues. Topps clearly has no idea how to run a business and Beckett clearly has no gumption to call them on their bait-n-switch practices.
And Chris, you’re really not coming across well in this discussion, better toughen up, you’re about to be eaten alive.

“other things to do today”? this is the liveliest thing to happen to Beckett since y’all deleted tons of people’s data last week.

Have to agree with AI. Been thinking the same thing. A year when nobody buys baseball cards from topps would be like a week when nobody buys gas. They would freak out. Plus I would be able to finally get my collection in order.

I currently have 9 redemptions for various Middlebrooks and Pedroia autos that are rare since Dec. 2012. As today still no update no status change and I keep getting the same excuses everyone else has been talking about. Topps has the worst service and their redemption process is horrible. It is a rip off and they should do away with redemptions altogether if they dont have the autos before the product comes out. Who is their marketing and product director? They should be fired. This is not difficult to figure out an coordinate. I could do a better job than that. If they promise you a product then they need to get it to you in a timely fashion. They should have them ready to issue out. Not issue out redemption cards and then work backwards in getting the player to sign them. Do away with stickers as well. Sign the damn card like it is inteaded to. If they want to issue replacements then they should give you the option from 3 top players to choose from of your choice. Redemption cards have value and people buy them directly from third parties to get those specific cards. Not get some replacement of some lame common player. Topps needs to provide better service all around. Give customers special packs containing rare autos from different brands of the sport. Give free packs or product. That’s customer service. Better yet give extra autos with their redemption cards. I am never buying Topps products again. I rather get it directly from someone who already has the card. Topps you fooled me once shame on me…fooled me twice shame on you!

I’ve been back into collecting for about 2 years after a 20 year absence, and I have to say just the idea of redemption’s is ridiculous. These companies are selling and advertising a product they do not have and in many cases will never have. Using a redemption is at best false advertising and at worst outright fraud. I’m a player and set collector, I made the mistake of buying 4 redemption cards which I’ll never do again. One from Panini was redeemed in a few weeks. The others (one Panini, two Topps) have been outstanding for 3-6 months. I don’t want and will not accept replacements. If they can’t fulfill their promises I want my money back.

And Chris, I’ve been reading and watching your posts for the last two years and I’ve never seen you come across so bad. Instead of the smug and condescending responses that the readers “don’t understand”, you should just opt out. Especially when you can’t or won’t supply these mysterious “facts”.

Wow, I can’t believe I read through all of these comments. A few of my own:

– Topps is in the wrong for sure and I could see the redemption process continue to change as more noise is made (maybe lawyers are already involved and that is why they are staring to send out replacements)

– I agree we should not lose sleep over this but do defend those that have the right to get upset when what should be a great card turns into a dud. At the same time others make out even better though.

– A lot of people are cursing Topps and saying they won’t buy their product. You need to follow through with that. And whether you deal with a LCS or through Blowout and other online tell them that the $x you spend with them each year is ending until Topps makes a change. If enough of you speak out maybe those huge buyers make noise of their own to Topps and that should be someone they listen to.

– Chris, I like your stuff but your passion does turn into an arrogant diatribe at times on these boards. Saying you’ve got work to do as an excuse for not giving a response to someone who you told is wrong, while a few hours later you are asking where your tweeps are at does not come off that well. I like your vids and your writing but you may want to let these comments from other posters go in one ear and out the other. You’re better than that.

Scott F: A redemption card is not fraud and it’s not false advertising. People take it to be when a player renegs on a deal and an exchange has to be made. It happens.

As Topps stated in its past sessions with collectors at the NSCC and where these questions came up more than once, redemption cards are only used when a deal is in place with a player and, for whatever reason, the player fails to do the signing in time. Could be playing schedule, could be injury, could be mood, could be one of a million things — and that leaves Topps (and collectors) hanging.

If X-thousand boxes are made and a product, which has been purchased, is now X hundred autos short, what should the card company do … not release them and remix everything (and reset the odds … and reprint packaging)? And should refunds for all those boxes be issued? Or, should they put the EXCH in its place since the signer is committed?

Would you rather get that base Topps auto that came in late in a pack of Five Star later? (That doesn’t work, either.)

Fact of the matter is that collectors — and card companies — are both left hanging on redemptions.

And my overall point is that if one truly understands how this happens, why would one skewer a card company over the issue at every opportunity? As I previously said, I, myself, have outstanding redemptions — but I’m not worried about them. I’ve been burned as many times as I have gotten something better in return. And, as I said before, I don’t buy them.

The card companies know people don’t like them — they don’t like them and they cost them money to fulfill. Meanwhile, the attitude I (like the card companies) I get on this issue is one that’s caustic and constant. Perhaps that’s a reason why they, the card companies, don’t address this with statements more than those that they do?

Why? Because that answer will never be good enough and the same response will just keep coming from many. And those who do discuss it or, heaven forbid, not agree with someone will be demonized and/or insulted.

Perhaps that’s something that we should all take a look at. I’d like to think the hobby is better than that.